As I was washing my hands at the bathroom sink,
I glanced up and saw a nameless faceless image in the mirror.
Quickly I averted my eyes from the reflection staring back at me
and looked down into the sink and took a moment to comprehend what I saw.
I didn’t recognize the unfamiliar face with a large body attached.
There was once a beautiful vibrant young woman staring back at me.
She had so much potential. Where did she go?
Bravely I looked up again to see the image that has become me.
Staring at my image, I took me all in.
Reminiscing of who I used to be and what I have done,
everything my image has accomplished, conquered and survived–
the mistakes and successes,
the good and the bad, happy and sad.
The years passed by quickly and all of a sudden I am here at the age I am–
seemingly, missing much of the living my body did.
Never giving my body permission to live some of the life I lived.
But, there is no going back now.
No erasing the past.
Many years of living blended together and transformed me into my new image
staring back at me.
Like art, I have become more valuable from the years of living I have lived.
Not a monetary value, but the value from my experiences and wisdom I have gained.
Beauty lies within one’s spirit and soul,
and is in the eye of the beholder.
Even if I am older,
I must dust myself off,
pick myself up,
hold my head high
and love the new image staring back at me
which has been wonderfully transformed
from all the living I have done.
I am blessed to be alive
to enjoy many more years
of living.
~written by Susan Walz
“I look forward to being older, when what you look like becomes less and less an issue and what you are is the point.” ~Susan Sarandon
© 2019 Susan Walz | myloudwhispersofhope.com | All Rights Reserved
My Loud Whispers of Hope 
This is how I felt one day right before I turned 50. Such a positive idea.
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Thank you. I’m happy you liked it and could relate to it. 😊💗🌸
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Great inspiration!
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Thank you. I am very happy you liked it. Much love.
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Susan, I am working on a book, a memoir and would like to use some of your writing to explain and clarify some of my story. Since I have never done this before I do not understand how to get copyright permission. I am only on chapter 3 of the book and am finding so much I have read on our blog resonates in my heart. So, how do I go about this? Betty Draper
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Thank you very much for liking my writing enough you would want to include it in your book… and thank you very much for asking. First of all, that is quite a compliment. Thank you. Can I ask what blog post or parts of it you like??
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Many years of living blended together and transformed me into my new image
staring back at me.
Like art, I have become more valuable from the years of living I have lived.
Not a monetary value, but the value from my experiences and wisdom I have gained.
Beauty lies within one’s spirit and soul,
and is in the eye of the beholder.
Even if I am older,
I must dust myself off,
pick myself up,
hold my head high
and love the new image staring back at me
which has been wonderfully transformed
from all the living I have done.
I am blessed to be alive
to enjoy many more years
of living.
Really. the whole Transformation post. but it was the above that shook me with encouragement and reminded me God is not through with me yet. I have lived for my husband and children for so long, I think I lost something along the way. Now, at 72, I find writing is something that involves just me. My singing was for others and it open doors for us to speak in churches about our missionary journey. My life has been built around my husband and God working through Him even though He has used me greatly to help women. I feel blessed but also feel like there is still something more I need to so and this one will be for me. Buried in me is words I have never spoke before and God is pushing them out of me at this age. Sometimes I surprise myself. I want to be that women who when my feet hit the floor, the devil goes, oh no, she is up. For I am not afraid of him, he is defeated and I have the victory through Christ. One of the reason I like to read blogs is so I can comment and speak my heart. I have done a lot of living, and your post said what I have not been able to say myself. I kind of like this new image of me, and I am blessed to be alive in more ways then one. Truly God is keeping me alive for a reason because two years ago it was discovered I had huge blockage in my heart. they did two bypasses , the third arteries could not be taken care of, too much blockage. As the doctors said, I was one breathe away from a massive heart attack. I told them my God did not have my house ready for me yet or I would be gone. Yep, I still got some living to do and it involves a book. Thanks. Tell me how to get the copy rights please. Not only from this post but possible from anything else I might gleam from you.
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